Et Cetera

Emergency Responders and Public Officials are encouraged to attend educational event Alliant Energy’s Iowa gas utility is participating in the Iowa Pipeline Association’s 2014 Pipeline Awareness and Education training offered at locations throughout the state. The training informs and instructs emergency responders and public officials about pipeline safety and prevention strategies.

One hundred fifty-eight students have been named to the Fall 2013 (August to December) Dean's List at Ellsworth Community College. To be eligible for the Dean's List, students must have taken 12 or more credit hours during the semester (a full-time class load) and have earned at least a 3.5 grade point average while attending ECC classes in Iowa Falls or online.

Nineteen Iowa youth delegates returned from National 4-H Congress inspired to make a difference, more culturally aware of the ethnic diversity around the world and in their local communities and having made friendships that will last a lifetime. On Thanksgiving weekend delegates from throughout the United States and its territories traveled to Atlanta, Ga.

William Penn University is pleased to announce that Tracy Lynn Rodman of Atkins, and Natalie Jane Reed of Walford, has been named to the President's List for the fall 2013 semester. To be included on the President's List, a student must complete at least 12 hours of credit with a minimum grade point average of 3.9 on a 4.

William Penn University is pleased to announce that Sara Ruth Petrzelka of Norway has been named to the Dean's List for the fall 2013 semester. To be included on the Dean's List, a student must complete at least 12 hours of credit with a grade point average of 3.5-3.89 on a 4.0 scale.  William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa offers both post-secondary and adult education programs.

The following area students were named to the Dean's List at Clarke University for the fall 2013 semester. Tammy Higdon, Natalie Ketchen of Vinton and David Meyers of Walford.  The list recognizes full-time Clarke students who have earned a 3.65 grade-point average or above, on a 4.0 scale, with a minimum of 12 graded hours. Clarke University is a Catholic, liberal arts and sciences university dedicated to preparing students who positively impact their workplace, family and community.

Along with the increasing consumer interests in buying locally WHAT ARE GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES?  Good Agricultural Practices, or GAPs, are a set of recommendations that can help improve the quality and safety of the produce you grow. These general guidelines can be adapted and/or incorporated into any production system.

Greg Annis, Vinton, a University of Iowa student, was one of 450 persons attending the 2013 Iowa County Engineers Association Annual Meeting, held at Iowa State University on December 10-12. This conference provides the county engineers and their staff members with continuing education in technical areas. It also provides the association with the opportunity to honor its own members for their achievements over the past year and provide scholarships to students at Iowa State University, University of Iowa, Des Moines Area Community College, and Hawkeye Community College who are interested in the field of county engineering.

State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald wants to encourage families to start their New Year off with a bang by considering a contribution to a loved one's future education. "With the New Year, comes an increased Iowa state income tax deduction when making contributions to College Savings Iowa," Fitzgerald said. "Iowa taxpayers are now able to deduct the first $3,098 they contribute per child on their 2014 state taxes.

Sometime every December, I park on a country road and wait for Santa Claus to go up a chimney. While children and Christmas purists would question much about that previous sentence, chances are that if you are from the Vinton area, you know exactly what road -- and what Santa -- I stop to see. As a child, I often rode with my grandparents or parents to 22nd Avenue and V61 (the Mount Auburn road, as my ancestors called it.